1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetooptical recording method and a magnetooptical recording apparatus and a medium used therefor and, more particularly, to an over write capable magnetooptical recording method, an over write capable magnetooptical recording apparatus and an over write capable medium.
2. Related Background Art
In recent years, many efforts have been made to develop an optical recording/reproduction method, an optical recording apparatus and a medium used therefor, which can satisfy various requirements including high density, large capacity, high speed access, and high recording/reproduction speed.
Of various optical recording/reproduction methods, the magnetooptical recording/reproduction method is most attractive due to its unique advantages that information can be erased after use and new information can be written thereon.
A recording medium used in a magnetooptical recording/reproduction method has a perpendicular magnetic layer or layers as a recording layer. The magnetic layer comprises, for example, amorphous GdFe, GdCo, GdFeCo, TbFe, TbCo, TbFeCo, and the like. Concentric or spiral tracks are formed on the recording layer, and data is recorded on the tracks. Note that in this specification, one of the "upward" and "downward" directions of magnetization with respect to a film surface is defined as an "A direction" and the other one is defined as a "non-A direction". Data to be recorded is binarized in advance, and is recorded by a bit (B.sub.1) having "A-directed" magnetization and a bit (B.sub.0) having "non-A-directed" magnetization. These bits B.sub.1 and B.sub.0 correspond to "1" and "0" levels of a digital signal, respectively. However, in general, the direction of magnetization of the recording tracks can be aligned in the "non-A direction" by applying a strong bias field before recording. This processing is called "initialization". Thereafter, the bit (B.sub.1) having "A-directed" magnetization is formed on the tracks. Data is recorded in accordance with the presence/absence and/or a bit length of the bit (B.sub.1).
Principle of Bit Formation:
In the bit formation, a characteristic feature of a laser, i.e., excellent coherence in space and time, is effectively used to focus a beam into a spot as small as the diffraction limit determined by the wavelength of the laser light. The focused light is radiated onto the track surface to write data by producing bits less than 1 .mu.m in diameter on the recording layer. In the optical recording, a recording density up to 10.sup.8 bit/cm.sup.2 can be theoretically attained, since a laser beam can be concentrated into a spot with a size as small as its wavelength.
As shown in FIG. 1, in the magnetooptical recording, a laser beam L is focused onto a recording layer 1 to heat it, while a bias field (Hb) is externally applied to the heated portion in the direction opposite the initialized direction. A coersivity Hc of the locally heated portion is decreased below the bias field (Hb). As a result, the direction of magnetization of that portion is aligned in the direction of the bias field (Hb). In this way, reversely magnetized bits are formed.
Ferromagnetic and ferrimagnetic materials differ in the temperature dependencies of the magnetization and Hc. Ferromagnetic materials have Hc which decreases around the Curie temperature and allow data recording based on this phenomenon. Thus, data recording in ferromagnetic materials is referred to as Tc recording (Curie temperature recording).
On the other hand, ferrimagnetic materials have a compensation temperature, below the Curie temperature, at which magnetization (M) becomes zero. The Hc abruptly increases around this temperature and hence abruptly decreases outside this temperature. The decreased Hc is cancelled by a relatively weak bias field (Hb). Namely, recording is enabled. This process is called Tcomp. recording (compensation point recording).
In this case, however, there is no need to adhere to the Curie point or temperatures therearound, and the compensation temperature. In other words, if a bias field (Hb) capable of cancelling a decreased Hc is applied to a magnetic material having the decreased Hc at a predetermined temperature higher than a room temperature, recording is enabled.
Principle of Reading:
FIG. 2 illustrates the principle of data reading based on the magnetooptical effect. Light is an electromagnetic wave with an electromagnetic-field vector normally emanating in all directions in a plane perpendicular the light path. When light is converted to linearly polarized beams (Lp) and radiated onto a recording layer (1), it is reflected by or passes through the recording layer (1). At this time, the plane of polarization rotates according to the direction of magnetization (M). This phenomenon is called the magnetic Kerr effect or magnetic Faraday effect.
For example, if the plane of polarization of the reflected light rotates through .theta..sub.k degrees for "A-directed" magnetization, it rotates through -.theta..sub.k degrees for the "non-A-directed" magnetization. Therefore, when the axis of an optical analyzer (polarizer) is set perpendicular to the plane inclined at -.theta..sub.k, the light reflected by "non-A-direction" magnetized bit (B.sub.0) cannot pass through the analyzer. However, a product (X sin 2.theta..sub.k) of the light reflected by a bit (B.sub.1) magnetized along the "A direction" passes through the analyzer and becomes incident on a detector (photoelectric conversion means). As a result, the bit (B.sub.1) magnetized along the "A direction" looks brighter than the bit (B.sub.0) magnetized along the "non-A direction", and the detector produces a stronger electrical signal for the bit (B.sub.1). The electrical signal from the detector is modulated in accordance with the recorded data, thus reading the data.